News

New Priest chosen for Ronkswood church

A NEW priest has been chosen to take over the Ronkswood parish in Worcester.

Reverend George Davis will become the new priest at Holy Trinity and St Matthew's Church taking the place of Rev Fran Binding who left in October last year.

Moving over from being an assistant curate at All Saints Church with St Mary Magdalene, in West Bromwich, the Venerable Roger Morris, Archdeacon of Worcester, said he was looking forward to welcoming him to Worcestershire.

He said: "George comes across as a very likeable, humble, good and godly person. He has a heart for people that will be evident in his ministry."

In a message from one of Rev Davis's friends, the minister, who worked with the unemployed, as a supplementary English teacher, and as a learning mentor in a secondary school in north London before he was ordained, was said to be able to help all kinds of people along their journey's in faith which would be good for a mixed area such as Ronkswood.

It said: "George’s faith does not exclude others and he is more than willing to be alongside others in their spiritual journeys, wherever they come from and wherever they may be going, which is a great benefit in a community of mixed housing, mixed religious beliefs and people of no belief at all.

"I believe his faith is enhanced by prayer, by meditation and by his inner holiness, which he wears lightly but profoundly."

Churchwarden Angela Hughes said the parish looked forward to him being licensed as the priest in July this year.

She said: "We are all delighted that a new vicar has been found so quickly and are very much looking forward to having George join us in July."

An application has been sent to the Diocesan Registrar for a faculty to authorise the demolition of the church building in readiness for another to be built in its place.

Although it was not yet known what the future held for the crumbling round building, Ms Hughes said they were looking at plans for a multi-use building for the whole community to benefit from on the same site, retaining some sort of round shape.

There is a meeting of the planning group on Monday, April 14 when the next stages of the plan will be announced.